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When I canceled my service they didn't want my HR21 back so I'm not surprised they didn't want your hr20. It has been long enough since I canceled that I'm confident they didn't and won't charge me a non return fee but they did tell me the same thing.

As far as using the HD something else I seem to remember reading somewhere that they use some obscure feature to basically lock the drive to that dvr but I could be wrong. But even if they don't what do you want with a small, 300gb or less drive, that has been running constantly for years and is probably going to fail?

I just stuck my HR-21 in the box in the garage in case I ever want to return as I've read it could only be reactivated on your own account. I'll probably recycle it next time there is a handy and free electronics recycling.

When I canceled my service they didn't want my HR21 back so I'm not surprised they didn't want your hr20. It has been long enough since I canceled that I'm confident they didn't and won't charge me a non return fee but they did tell me the same thing.

As far as using the HD something else I seem to remember reading somewhere that they use some obscure feature to basically lock the drive to that dvr but I could be wrong. But even if they don't what do you want with a small, 300gb or less drive, that has been running constantly for years and is probably going to fail?

I just stuck my HR-21 in the box in the garage in case I ever want to return as I've read it could only be reactivated on your own account. I'll probably recycle it next time there is a handy and free electronics recycling.

I would advise caution in asking DirecTV about any 'previously enjoyed' receiver anyone might be looking at to add to their account.

Had a CSR tell me a particular H20 was fine for activating, but after wasting a heap of time finalizing a deal and setting up installation appt, the card department would under no conditions send a new card for the H20. Tough situation, and I would not wish it on someone else.

Recounted story to an 'official' D* tech and he claimed he would be able to get it working on another account. Might see him on a big install Friday, I'll have H20 in the truck and ask again.

Having recounted that for a residential situation, conversely, on the business install side, I've had several units from upgraded (residential) installs I wound up with, that D* happily activated on a nursing home head end system, and they even reactivated the access cards that were in the boxes.

None of those have be HD boxes, they were SD non DVR units. Got the feeling D* realizes uprating commercial accounts is, as Martha says, a good thing.

As for the OP, pretty safe recycling an HR20, but I sure hate seeing D* units with OTA capability chucked. Argh!

If it was leased, you can't do that. Just because they don't want it back does NOT mean it's yours and you can sell it. It can only be activated on your account.

Unfortunately, you can sell the leased receivers on eBay. It's done every day. I get instant notifications every time a 24 is put on eBay and most of them are leased and their accounts have money owed on them and they get sold. I've bought a couple really cheap 24s just to get the power supplies.

eBay does nothing to stop this. Gotta check the RID#s or Serial#s (something new) with the Access Card folks to determine whether it is leased or owned.

Wasn't looking to make an excuse for anyone. Was simply asking for an intelligent discourse on why the basic property law doesn't apply to Directv.

It does. It's abandoned property, which means it's finders keepers.

It's not leased anymore -- it's "previously leased". It's owned. So you can do whatever you want with it -- it's perfectly legal. That's why eBay doesn't stop their sale.

Now, DirecTV has a policy in place where they don't allow owned but previously leased receivers to be activated. Legally, D* probably shouldn't be able to do this because owned is owned (unless the receiver is so old that D* doesn't support it anymore). But it comes down to how much time and effort you want to spend arguing with or suing D* to activate an almost obsolete receiver.